


The Tale of the Glowing Cat

by lah_mrh



Category: Expert Judgment on Markers to Deter Inadvertent Human Intrusion... - Sandia Labs
Genre: Gen, Yuletide Treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-19 21:17:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13132404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lah_mrh/pseuds/lah_mrh
Summary: When Janna and Mat sneak out of their village to go exploring, they have no idea what they will find.





	The Tale of the Glowing Cat

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ozsaur](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ozsaur/gifts).



> Your ideas intrigued me, so I hope this is at least a little like what you were looking for.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Mat asks.

Janna doesn't answer for a moment, staring into the desert in front of them. They've been told their whole lives never to go past the edge of their village, that terrible things will happen to them if they break the rule.

"Why?" she asks. "Are you scared?"

"No," Mat replies, but it doesn't sound convincing. "You?"

"Of course not," Janna says. She is, a bit, but she isn't about to let Mat know that. "I always wanted to go on an adventure."

She glances over her shoulder, making sure they're not being watched, then steps forward, one foot reaching out until it crosses the boundary. Nothing happens. 

Before she can talk herself out of it she ducks through the fence and stands up, turning a full circle before raising her hands in triumph. "Told you nothing would happen!" she calls. "Come on!"

Before he can move, or even respond, she turns and heads further into the desert. After a moment she hears a rustling and knows that Mat is following her.

They walk for a long time, seeing nothing but sand and sky, with only the occasional oddly coloured bush or plant to break up the monotony. "I don't know why the adults make such a big deal about staying in the village," Mat says eventually. "There's nothing here."

"Maybe they were afraid we'd die of boredom?" Janna suggests. "Come on, let's head back. I'm thirsty, and it's almost time for lunch."

"Wait," Mat says as she starts to turn. "What's that?" He points at something in the distance.

Looking, she can see it too. A kind of flicker on the horizon. "I don't know," she says, then grins. "Let's check it out."

It turns out to be a stream. "This is great," Janna says. "I am _so_ thirsty." The two of them rush forwards, intent on getting a drink, but are stopped in their tracks by a creature, leaping out of some bushes in front of them.

"What is that?" Mat yelps.

"I don't know!" It looks like the cats they have in the village, but it's bright green. And _glowing_. Something stirs, deep in her memories, telling her that this is a very bad sign. The cat hisses, its fur standing on end, and Janna's courage abandons her. "Let's get out of here!"

As one, the two of them scramble backwards, heading back to the village as fast as their legs can carry them. With tales of glowing cat monsters circulating among the population, it will be a long time before anyone ventures out here again.

Misty watches them leave, congratulating herself on a job well done. It isn't easy, protecting the humans from themselves, but someone has to do it, and she's more qualified than most. Her family has lived in this area for countless generations, serving as a warning to all who come here. _Stay away._

Tail in the air, the glow in her fur slowly fading, she heads for home.


End file.
